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Submitted to: Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 9/18/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: U.S. agriculture produces over 12 billion lb of soybean oil annually, and frequently carry-over exceeds 1 billion lb. Only 300 million lb of soybean oil are used in industrial applications. Nonfood uses of soybean oil and other vegetable oils have grown little during the past 40 years. Although some markets have expanded or new ones added, other markets have been lost to competitive petroleum products. Development of new industrial products or commercial processes are objectives of continued research in both public and private sectors. Through these efforts, vegetable oils should maintain or even add to their market share as nonrenewable petroleum becomes more expensive. Industrial applications include plasticizers, emulsifiers, surfactants, plastics, resins, lubricants, coatings, corrosion inhibitors, adhesives, cleaners, cosmetics, water repellants, and fuels. At the Oil Chemical Research Unit (ARS, USDA, NCAUR), we investigate and develop economically feasible new industrial products from soybean oil and thus, enhance its domestic and export market. Our principal effort focuses on modifying chemical and physical properties of soybean oil to enhance its use as an additive or as a major component of lubricants, surface coatings, printing inks, fuels and industrial chemicals. Approaches include both chemical and biological techniques to modify soybean oil or its constituents and introduce new functionalities. Up to date progress of the above technologies will be summarized. |
